


The Lorax: Rewritten

by mimetime



Category: The Lorax (2012), The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Asthma, Backstory, Canon Rewrite, Dystopia, F/M, Flashbacks, Major Illness, Past Character Death, Poverty, Relationship(s), Retelling, Story within a Story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 03:09:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28913643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mimetime/pseuds/mimetime
Summary: Ted Wiggins is a young, wealthy boy living in a corporatocracy. He’s fortunate enough to have whatever he needs--as well as whatever he wants--readily accessible to him. Audrey, a teenage girl and Ted’s secret crush, isn’t quite as lucky. She’s unable to afford clean enough air to breathe, which causes her to develop a serious case of asthma.The boy gets to take a look outside of his own world when he ventures out of town to meet the Once-ler, the man responsible for the mass deforestation of the Truffula forest, as well as the creation of Thneedville. He gets to hear the real story of how life ended up this way, and things are much more grim than Ted had ever realized before. By the end of his adventure, Ted finds himself having a crucial role in saving not only Audrey, but the people of Thneedville as a whole.updated jan 29; unfinished
Relationships: Grammy Norma/The Once-ler (The Lorax)
Kudos: 6





	The Lorax: Rewritten

_COUGH! Hack! Wheeze!_

This was the kind of chorus that harmonized the overcrowded city of Thneedville. There was never truly silence here, as all types of people bustled about, living out their unique lives in their separate economic classes. The mayor of this city was Aloysius O'Hare, a cunning businessman who was easily the richest man in the world. He acted much like a president, or perhaps more like a dictator, ruling over the city. After all, the people of Thneedville depended on O’Hare for the most basic necessity any human could name: oxygen. Everyone was required to pay taxes to help fuel low-quality, smoggy air into the general population. Anyone who couldn’t do so were left on the streets and looked down upon by the clean-breathing members of society, those who carried around extravagant oxygen tanks or at least could afford to install oxygen-dispensing systems into their homes. 

At a higher end of this spectrum was Ted Wiggins, a twelve-year-old who came from a well-off family. They weren’t rich in comparison to the O’Hare name, but then again, nobody could compare with O'Hare--that was even one of his own slogans! But Ted never had to deal with breathing in the crummy air outside, and neither did his mother, nor grandmother. It's true he lived comfortably in his two-story home, and could usually convince his mom to buy him whatever he wanted. This morning, he was after a new-fangled, remote-controlled model airplane. 

So whilst he and his family of two sat around the dining table, each munching away at their plates of variously flavored jello, he mentally structured his argument for why he simply _must_ have this toy. When he finally opened his mouth to lay down his case, his mother stopped him in his tracks. 

"I’m not buying you anything." 

"W-What?! Psh, that--that’s not even what I was gonna say! What would make you think that?" His mother eyed him, clearly unimpressed by his unconvincing lying. 

"You always get quiet when you’re getting ready to ask me for another useless thing," she answered, popping a strawberry-shaped chunk of jello into her mouth. 

Ted bopped his leg anxiously and whined, "But Mooom! I really, really want this super plane! It’s the newest make, and it’s way more advanced than any of the other planes I have! I would look so cool, you don’t understand--" 

"You say this about _every_ new model, Ted." 

Grammy Norma looked at him knowingly and nodded in agreement with his mom. She had sat through plenty of these conversations in the past, and her grandson always managed to convince her daughter to make the purchase. As Ted clasped his hands together and began pleading, Norma felt sure that this time would be no different. 

"Mom! I really, really, _really_ want it! I’ll be good, I’ll do all my chores, I won’t bother you about anything else! I just want this, I won’t ever ask you for something ever again! Please, please, please!" 

His mom sighed and grasped at her forehead, feeling the edge of a headache developing from his whiny antics. She plunged her silverware onto her plate in frustration and huffed, "If I give you the money, will you cut it out?!" 

"Yes!" Ted promised with a wide smile, punctuating his agreement with some eager grabby-hands. Berncie Wiggins, a simple middle-aged woman who had never expected raising a child to be a stressful experience, tsked and collected their empty plates. 

"Fine," she said, tossing the plates into an automated system that mechanically cleaned them. She reached for her purse and pulled out some of those sweet, sweet green slips of opportunity... The opportunity for Ted to have what he wanted. She handed him the money and he pumped his fist in the air triumphantly, the bills clenched tight in hand. He threw on his biking helmet and grabbed some bottled air, rushing for the door. 

"You forgot to say"-- _SLAM!--_ "...thank you." 

The boy burst out onto the driveway and hopped onto his motorbike, choking a little on the burning sensation of the borderline filthy air outside flooding his lungs. He took a gasp of clean oxygen from the bottle and rode off towards the store. Gusts of dirt trailed after his wheels as he traveled quickly down the littered-on streets, strategically avoiding each piece garbage obstructing his path. He held the breath of fresh air in for as long as he could, which he'd been taught to do in order to make the most out of each bottle. He expected this to be a short trip anyhow, and he was much too excited, so he just left his oxygen tank at home. He tried his best to ignore the slight odor the air carried. It was a rancid type of smell, and he couldn't decide if it more closely resembled molding cotton or a mothball. Either way, he predicted he would definitely end up using up every bit of oxygen in his bottle of O'Hare Purified Air. That wasn't a problem, though, since his family could always just buy more. 

The skies was always cloudy and grey like this, feeling damp and being not entirely see-through. Mayor O'Hare and his legal team swore up and down that it was the very best he could do with the taxes he received from the citizens of Thneedville, but plenty of citizens were well aware that a good percentage of that money went right into his already overflowing pockets. Ted didn't mind the air outside too much, as he only had to deal with it for short periods of time every now and then. The same went for anyone who could afford the options for fresher air that O'Hare Air offered, and much of Thneedville's population had an indifferent attitude. For far too many, though, this polluted air was the only air they _ever_ got to breathe. It ate away at their lung from the inside, often times causing long-lasting damage. It was undeniable that the air outside was harmful--maybe even detrimental--to one's health. This included the health of-- 

_COUGH! COUGH!_

Audrey was only fourteen, but she was in a constant battle with a severe case of asthma, caused by years upon years of breathing in the unclean air of Thneedville. The girl was constantly wheezing for breath, struggling to get in more oxygen--plus whatever other chemicals floated around in the atmosphere here. Her lungs were shriveled and blackened, worn down to the point that they were nearly useless. She was weaker than usual lately, though, far too weak to go to school. Her mother couldn't afford a doctor to see what was wrong, either. Much of their sparse amount of money already went into payment for Audrey's inhaler, and her mom felt helpless having to watch her daughter suffer this way. Her father had also struggled with asthma, and just a few months ago, a particularly awful attack had taken his life. 

The teenager was heartbroken at the loss of her dad, and she began to immerse herself in her art. Whenever she wasn't tipping in to help her mom with expenses, Audrey was painting away. They couldn't afford much material, but she made do with one little brush and some cheap paints that she utilized carefully. It wasn't much, but the art she made was still eye-catching, her vibrant creations reflecting upon her own colorful inner world, one which was shining bright with optimism. She had made some good cash by selling several of her pieces, though she often found herself wishing that she had enough resources to produce more personal pieces. 

She couldn't really attend school all that much, but when she did, she got herself into the library as often as she could. There was a small collection of books, many of them being standard textbooks, and the room always smelled like a leathery jacket that'd been left out in the rain. But the librarian was kind to Audrey, and she felt at home here. Her very favorite section was the nature section, which consisted of only _three_ books. She had read the trio a countless amount of times. The first time she'd discovered them, they were so untouched that they had cobwebs and dust coating their covers, and they creaked with every turn of the page. But now, Audrey had read them so many times that they creaked due to frequent use, rather than the opposite. She could confidently bet that she knew every word in each of them by heart. 

They never taught the students about nature during classes. It was a completely outdated topic. In fact, Audrey had never even _heard_ of Truffula trees before she had read about them here. Upon her initial discovery, she had rushed home and told her mother about it, but she was told that it was merely a story, that such a thing as free air was purely fictional. This had made her high spirits falter a bit, but when she went on to tell her ill father, he had lit up the same way she had when she read about it. 

"Audrey," he had said to her, "promise me... Promise that if you ever, _ever_ get any kind of chance to plant one of these Truffula trees... Promise me you will." 

He had taken her small, soft hands into his blistered, overworked ones. 

" _I promise, Dad._ " 

When Ted Wiggins had reached the shop, he was so excited that he was visibly buzzing. He stepped up to the cashier and saw his prize: the newest model of the Super Plane series he had been collecting for a few months now. He was about to point it out to the worn-down worker when he noticed what was being sold directly next to it. 

A sign read: "Big Sale! 5 buckets of top-quality paint for only $80! (Comes With Free Brushes!)" 

His resolve faltered, flickering like a broken light bulb, and he fiddled with the eighty dollars his mother gave him. The boy thought of a certain painter whom he hadn't seen in at least two full weeks. The last thing she had told him before disappearing from school was how badly she wished she had more paint. She had even said she would give _anything_ for it. 

"Dude, are you gonna buy something?" the clerk urged, not amused by the boy's hesitant fidgeting. He looked between the plane and the paint and, at last, handed over the money. 

"I'll take some paint." 

"Alright-y," said the man, tucking the cash away into the register. He huffed as he pulled up each gallon of paint, and Ted struggled to load each onto his bike. It was a huge motor-powered machine, harboring plenty of room to carry this _and_ more. His mom had paid a lot for it, and the boy made good use of it, riding it pretty much everywhere he went. He even rode himself to school each morning, despite their family owning a perfectly good car. He claimed that he liked the morning breeze. And while it was true that the air outside was clearest during the early dawn--which still wasn't saying much--the true reason Ted insisted on going on his own was so he could stop by Audrey's house every morning. He'd linger there, waiting for any sign of the girl and contemplating going up to her door and knocking. He never did. But today would be different. Ted was already outdoors, and it was the weekend. Audrey was bound to be home, and he had plenty of free time on his hands. And with this new advancement, he finally had a plausible excuse to drop by and actually talk to her. 

Following the five buckets of various colors of paint, the cashier handed Ted a plastic bag with paintbrushes in it, all consisting of different thicknesses. He peeked in and smirked, mounting his bike. He'd be lying if he said he didn't feel disappointed to leave the plane behind, but imaging how happy Audrey would be when she saw all this made any worry of potential regret wash clear away. A thought popped into his head a tad bit late, and he called back to the cashier a hasty "thanks!" from the distance before zipping away. 

Audrey didn't live all that far away from Ted, though her neighborhood was wildly different than his. His street was lined with big, colorful houses with all kinds of thingamajigs whatchamacallits decorating the grass-less lawns of him and his neighbors. Audrey's neighborhood was much more modest, consisting of wooden houses stretching down the worn-down roads that Ted always had trouble motorbiking on. Despite this gap between their lifestyles, the two had gone to the same middle school--well, technically, Ted was still going to that middle school, while Audrey had moved onto high school two years ago. But when a pretty eighth grader had given Ted the time of day back in sixth grade to help him pick up the scattered items that had spilled from his backpack, she automatically became his first love. 

His crush on her only grew stronger over the following months, and they would even talk every now and then! The conversations were mostly short and impersonal, and she was always busier than he was, but he was touched that she still found the time to at least say hi to him whenever they passed each other in the halls. But it was summer now, and the previous school year was over. That meant Ted was entering seventh grade, and Audrey wouldn't be there at all next year. The thought made Ted's heart ache, and he wanted nothing more than to just be able to keep some kind of connection with the girl he admired. He had to show her that he was more than just a silly boy; he had to prove herself to her before it was too late! 

_Din--in..g-Don...g..._

Audrey was pulled from her thoughts when she heard their broken doorbell ring out a glitched tune. Her mother was away at one of her jobs, so it was up to her to answer it. She shakily pushed herself to her feet, taking in shallow gasps of air on her way to the door. She swung it open and was surprised to see a familiar face. 

"Oh... Hey, Ted." 

Ted was pulled from his own thoughts when the orange-haired girl appeared in front of him. He felt heat spread across his cheeks and looked down at his feet to avoid her gaze, all too aware of the fact that his face was turning pink. 

"Audrey! Um, hi... I-I, uh..." He gripped at the plastic bag in his hands, collecting every bit of confidence within himself. "I got something for you." 

The girl's brows raised in a mix of surprise and curiosity. This was a shockingly bold move from Ted, who usually stuttered over his words when Audrey so much as greeted him. Having two years on him, Audrey had sorta picked up on his crush, but she said nothing about it as to not embarrass him. She did genuinely enjoy their friendship, and she could tell that he had a good heart. Despite any of their differences, Ted Wiggins was never unkind to her. He never looked down on her due to her circumstances the way other students did. He was always glad to see her, even if her clothes were raggedy or if her hair was knotted. It's true Ted had his own issues with entitlement, but at the end of the day, he saw her for _her_ rather than for what she owned. And here in Thneedville, that was a rare virtue, one he undoubtedly inherited from his old-fashioned grandmother. 

"Oh! Really??" she said with a giddy tone. She rarely ever received gifts, and even less so from friends. In fact, she couldn't name even one time a friend had given her a present. She noticed Ted's face growing redder, but she chose to ignore it, touched by his kind gesture. 

"I-I... Here," Ted said, stretching his arms out in front of him to hand her the bag. She grabbed it and looked in, face lighting up when she saw what was inside. 

"Paintbrushes! Oh, thank you! This is so nice of you, Ted," she said with a wide smile on her face. He finally lifted his brown eyes to look at her, but his face fell in shock at her ill appearance. He was used to her looking a bit run down, and he was obviously aware of her financial squalor, but he'd never seen her look _this_ run-down. She had dark bags under her eyes, which were droopy with exhaustion. Her chest was heaving, effort being put into every breath, and her skin was paled and sickly. Her skin and hair looked dry, with her chapped lips spread into a wide smile which revealed slightly yellowed teeth. 

"A-Audrey..." he gasped, and she looked up from the inner contents of the bag to his face. He saw the same light shining brightly in her green eyes that usually illuminated them, and his initial shock dissipated into thin air, a soft smile returning to his face. "I'm... I'm glad you like the brushes! But that's not all..." 

She watched speechlessly as Ted popped open the trunk of his motorbike, revealing the several gallons of paint he had gotten her. The bag dropped to the ground, brushes spilling out onto the pavement with a _thud_! Ted's smile faded for a moment when he saw the tears come to Audrey's eyes, her hands moving up to cover her mouth. 

" _Ted_ ," she said, moving her hands from her mouth to wipe at her eyes. The biggest smile Ted had ever seen on the taller girl was lighting up her face, and Ted felt his heart flutter like a butterfly's wing. "This... This--This is incredible... I-I'm-- _Thank_ you _so_ much!" 

At this point, joyful tears were dripping down her face. Ted stared in awe at her beauty, feeling pride fill his chest. Being someone who got new gifts very often, Ted never could've expected this to affect Audrey this much. The way she beamed captured his heart, and a wide grin spread across his face. Is this what it felt like to give someone a gift...? 

He'd never really done this kind of thing before. Usually, he was just focused solely on what _he_ wanted. If he hadn't seen that paint for sale, this idea never would've even crossed his mind. They were both caught up in the sweetness of the moment when Audrey's lungs tightened in her chest. Her smile dropped and she was hit with an uncontrollable coughing fit. 

"A-Are you okay?!" Ted exclaimed, rushing over to her. She gripped at her chest, feeling a burning pain spread all throughout her rib cage as she choked out for oxygen. The boy frantically grabbed his bottle of oxygen and handed it to her, watching with frightened eyes as she pulled a great gasp of the fresh air into her failing lungs. It felt like they had been flooded open like a balloon, bringing her immediate relief. Her coughing turned into a lighter wheezing, and she gave him a hand signal that he interpreted as "wait a moment" before she turned away and disappeared into her rickety house. He stood there, unbelievably worried. After using her inhaler and giving herself a minute to collect herself, she returned to the doorway breathing better. 

"Sorry, sorry! It's my asthma... It makes it super hard to breathe sometimes. I just got so excited! I can't believe you did this for me." 

Ted wanted to feel nothing but glad, but he was thrown off by what Audrey had said, so casually too. He subconsciously took a deep breath in, and he winced at the burning sensation of this air in his throat. It felt like pure smoke was travelling directly into his lungs, making him cough into his fist as this prickling feeling spread all throughout his chest. But there was nothing left in the bottle he'd brought along, so he was jut stuck with the smelly air of the outside. He felt horrified by a thought that crossed his mind for the very first time. 

"Do you _always_ breathe in this air?" 


End file.
